Wire-stretcher



NOM-oda.)

W. J. DOHERT-Y.

WIRE STRETCEBR.

Patented Sept. 30.1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEicE.

VILLIAM JAMES DOHER'IY, OF DES MOINES, IO\V-A.

WIRE-STRETCHER.

" SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 437,485, datedSeptember 80, 1890.

Application filed May 26, 1890. Serial No. 353,214. (No model.)

To all whom, i6 may concern..-

Be it known that I, VILLIAM JAMES Do HERTY, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing useful Improvements in Tire-Stretchers, of

iwhich the following is a specification.

My invention coniprehends improved devices for stretching wire,particularly fencewires; but parts of my improved apparatus are adaptedfor use in connect-ion with an ordinary toothed bar forstretching-carpets.

My improved wire-stretching apparatus is adapted to stretch wires fromone post to another, to draw tightly together wires between two adjacentposts, so that they mayA bespliced, and also to draw wires tightlyaround the corner of a post without injury either to the post yor to thewire.

The details of construction and the Subj ectmatter claimed arehereinafter designated.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved wirestretching apparatus,showing, also, diagrammatically the method of workingwhen stretching awire from one post to another. Figs. 2 and 3 are detail views of theoperating-lever and longitudinally-moving grip devices. Fig. 4 is adiagram view showing how a wire is stretched around a corner-post. Fig.5 shows how wires from two adjacent posts are brought together andspliced. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a carpet-stretcher embodying myinvention.

The stretcher-bar or frame-bar A is provided at one end with a hingedloop B, to which is secured a chain C for attaching the stretcher to afence-post. An ecentric gripdog D is also flexibly secured to the bar Aat this end. At its opposite end the bar is provided with a guide-lugF., through which extends a iiexible cable or wire rope F, to the outerend of which a wire-gripping device G is attached. A similarwire-gripping device H is flexibly secured to the bar near the guidelugE. Any approved kind of wire-gripping device may be employed. Thoseshown are simple and efficient and are preferred.

The operating-lever I is bifurcated at its inner end and embraces thestretcher-bar A.

I To the inner end of the operating-lever on that side of the bar Aopposite the handle is pivoted a link J, which is pivoted at itsopposite end to the outer end of the grip-bar K, through'which the barAextends. A similar grip-bar L, projecting from the bar A in an oppositedirect-ion, is connected to the operating-lever I by a link M.

The grip-bars K and Lare shown in the drawings as each consisting of twoparallel plates a, connected on opposite sides of the bar A, andadjacent thereto, b'y bolts'b,and to the links J and M by bolts c. Thelinks J and M are formed with shoulders' d, which engage withcross-bolts e when the clutchbars are moved forward on the bar A. The

flexible cable F, which passes through the guide E, is secured at itsinner end to a bolt o f, extending through the bifurcated end of thelever I near the bar A.

In operation wires are stretched from post to post, as shown in Fig. l,by securing one end of the apparatus by means of the chain C to a postX, securing a wire to a post at a distance, and then attaching thegrip-dog G to the Wire. By then operating the lever I the wire may bedrawn taut past the post Y. The

back and forth movements of the operatinglever cause the grip-bars K andL to move along the bar Ain the direction indicated by the arrow. Asshow n in the drawings, the lever I has reached the extremity of itsmovement to the right and is ready to be moved to the left. When movedto the left, the clutchbar L slides freely on the bar A toward the postX, the shoulder d engaging with the cross-bar e and holding theclutch-bar at right angles to the bar A, allowing it to slide freely.The clutch-bar K remains stationary as the linkJ causes the bar tobecome inclined, so as to clutch or grip the bar between thebolts b.When the lever is moved in an opposite direction, the grip-bar K movesto the left, while thel bar L remains stationary. In this way the wireis drawn very tight and held firmly until released. By attaching thegripdog H to the wire and releasing the dog G anew hold may be taken onthe wire, -so as to draw it tighter, if desired, by moving theoperating-lever I andthe connecting parts to the right and securing thedog G to the wire at another point. The iexible cable F enables me todraw a wire, either plain or barbed, around a corner-post, as shown inFig. 4.

The operation of the apparatus and its attachments are substantially thesame as above described, except that the cable F is carried around thecorner-post Z, as indicated. To stretch two Wires between adjacent postsand splice them, the apparatus is attached to the adjacent ends of thewires, as indicated in Fig. 5.

Instead of securing one end of the barA to a post by the chain C, Iattach one of the Wires to the grip-dog D and the vother Wire to thegrip-dog G, and then operate the lever I to stretch the Wires. Byapplying the gripdog H to the wire I may detach the dog G Withoutslackening, and the Wires may be connected so as to afford a tight andfirm connection. The grip-bar A is shown as pr0` vided at one end with atooth N, projecting at right angles. This tooth maybe sometimes used tosecure the bar to any desired object instead ot' the chain C; but it isespecially designed for use when my apparatus is employed as acarpet-stretcher, as indicated in Fig. 6. When used asacarpet-stretcher, the dog H, guide E, dog G, and cable F may beremoved. The chain C and dog D are also removed, and a transversetoothed bar O is applied to the bar A by means of a sliding loop P. Thebar O is connected to the lever I by means of rods Q, which are securedto the lower end of the lever above the bar A.

By vibratin g the lever back and forth the bar O may be made to movetoward the end N and stretch the carpet to its desired position.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination, substantially as here;

lexibly secured to the stretcher-bar near the cable-guide.

2. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, ot' thestretcher-bar, the grip-bars projecting in opposite directions from thestretcher-bar, links connecting the outer ends of the grip-bars with theoperating-lever, and cross-pieces with which shoulders on thelinksengage,in the manner speciied.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

VILLIAM JAMES DOHERTY.

Witnesses:

G. A. AvRiLL, O. F. PENFIELD.

